Michelle Rodriguez Takes Liam Neeson's Side

Actress Michelle Rodriguez is among a handful of celebrities who have come to Liam Neeson's defense in the wake of racially explosive comments he made recently.

Bounding Into Comics

"It's all f@@kin' bullsh@t," she said in an interview with Vanity Fair. "Dude, have you watched Widows? His tongue was so far down Viola Davis’ throat. You can’t call him a racist ever. Racists don’t make out with the race that they hate, especially in the way he does with his tongue — so deep down her throat. I don’t care how good of an actor you are. It’s all bulls@t. Ignore it. He’s not a racist. He’s a loving man. It’s all lies.”

The Independent

Neeson is in hot water after describing an incident in his life in which a friend was raped. "There's something primal - God forbid you've ever had a member of your family hurt under criminal conditions." When Neeson learned that the rape had been perpetrated by a black man, he said he carried a crowbar with him, "hoping I'd be approached by somebody - I'm ashamed to say that."

"I went up and down the areas with a cosh, hoping I'd be approached by somebody - I'm ashamed to say that. I did it for maybe a week, hoping some 'black bastard' would come out of a pub and have a go at me about something, you know? So that I could kill him."

Vanity Fair

The backlash was instant. Neeson appeared on Good Morning America the following day to try to clear his name, claiming he is not a racist. It didn't really help. On the show, he said, "There were some nights I went out deliberately into black areas in the city looking to be set upon so that I could unleash physical violence. And I did it for, I'd say maybe, four or five times until I caught myself."